play-action pass

noun

play-ac·​tion pass
: a pass play in football in which the quarterback fakes a handoff before passing the ball

called also play-action

Examples of play-action pass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Bengals have gained only 122 yards on play-action passes this season, third fewest in the NFL behind only the Jets and Panthers. Andrew Greif, NBC News, 14 Oct. 2024 The threat of his running made play-action passes especially effective. Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2024 One play later, Becht found Jayden Higgins across the middle on a play-action pass for a 16-yard score with 1:27 remaining in the half. Mike Harley, arkansasonline.com, 22 Sep. 2024 The redshirt freshman completed a short play-action pass to Russell over the left side. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 1 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for play-action pass 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play-action pass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of play-action pass was in 1963

Dictionary Entries Near play-action pass

Cite this Entry

“Play-action pass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play-action%20pass. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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